Summary of At Twilight They Return
“At Twilight They Return” is a Greek family saga spanning four generations, set in an unnamed town in Northern Greece around 1900. At the heart of the story are Christoforos, his son Hesychios, and their wives, lovers, children, children-in-law, brothers, sisters, grandchildren, stepchildren, and adopted children. They all belong to a large and prosperous family until an earthquake changes their fate.
Reasons to read At Twilight They Return
“At Twilight They Return” is a collection of ten interrelated tales about Christoforos’ family and is considered a masterpiece of Greek magical realism. This engaging and richly symbolic novel, infused with elements of Greek folklore and classical mythology, offers much to enjoy, presenting a wide cast of characters and numerous interwoven subplots. Zyranna Zateli is a celebrated contemporary Greek author who has won the Greek State Prize for Literature twice: first in 1994 for “At Twilight They Return”, and again in 2002 for “Death Came Last”. In 2010, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Academy of Athens.
Setting: Greece
Book set in Greece: Northern Greece. While “At Twilight They Return” does not specify an exact setting, the novel is likely rooted in Greek Macedonia—Zyranna Zateli was born and raised in Sochos, a village near Thessaloniki, and the atmosphere reflects that region’s rural and mythic character.
Original title: Και με το φως του λύκου επανέρχονται
Year of publication: 1993
Nr of pages: 528
